Abstract:
The 2018–19 year marked the first year under the CRDC Strategic RD&E Plan 2018–23. As such, the 2018–19 year marked a crucial year for CRDC. It ensured that the first round of strategic RD&E investments under this plan help set the future direction for the Australian cotton industry – one of innovation and impact through increased commercialisation and digital transformation.
To achieve this, during 2018–19 Australian cotton growers and the Australian Government co-invested $24.1 million through CRDC into cotton RD&E, across 285 projects and in collaboration with 116 research partners. The investments were made in the five key areas identified in the Strategic RD&E Plan: increasing productivity and profitability on Australian cotton farms; improving cotton farming sustainability and value chain competitiveness; building the adaptive capacity of the Australian cotton industry; strengthening partnerships and adoption; and driving RD&E impact.